Store



Aug. 299 i933. c. o. SHERRILL. 399249963 l STORE Filed Nov.- 4, 1931 5 Sheets-'Sheet l aww,

ug- 29 1933- c; o. sHERRlLL 1,924,963:

STORE Filed Nov. 4, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug .29, 1933 c. o. SHERRILL 1,924,963

STORE Filed Nov. 4,',1931 3 sheets-sheet- `3 Patented Aug. 29, 1933 UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE s'ronE Clarence 0. Sherrill, Cincinnati, Ohio, assigner to The Kroger Grocery Baking Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 4, 1931. Serial No. 572,990 6 Claims. (Cl. 20-1.6)

and efficiently utilized to the end that the expense of distributing the goods from the warehouse to the stores may be carried on at a minimum cost and a substantial reduction in overhead thus effected. With stores such as grocery stores, for example, with the usual equipment and wherein the goods are displayed around the front of the store it has been found inadvisable to admit delivery crews without thepresence of the store manager or a clerk to take care not only of the inventory in the store but to check up the goods 2@ delivered, thus insuring that no confusion result and that no loss or inventory will take place.

The object of my said invention isto provide means whereby a section of the front portion or lobby of the store adjacent the entrance may be separated from the remainder in such a way that the trucking or delivery crew may be provided with a pass key to theentrance doors but not be aiorded access to the store proper or that portion of the store in which the stock of goods is on dlsplay. I accomplish this purpose by providing a portable, collapsible partition so constructed that it may be readily put in place and locked against displacement when the store is closed at night and readily removed and stored out of the way when the store is opened for businessand which is adapted to partition oi a sufficient space adjacent the store entrance to receive the supply of goods which may be delivered from the warehouse or source of supply and thus make it feasible to provide the delivery man with a pass key to the entrance without admitting the delivery crew to the store proper and exposing its contents to their handling, all as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof and on which simi"- lar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the iront portion of a grocery store wherein goods are displayed adjacent the entrance, showing `the space adjacent to said entrance. partitioned oi and separated from the rest of the store by one of my portable and collapsible partitions, the view being from the inside of the store ina direction towards the entrance,

Figure 2, a perspective Qview illustrating more clearly the construction and arrangement of the partition,

Figures 3, 4 and 5 detail views showing more clearly certain parts,

Figure 6, a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating another form of partition, and

Figures 7, 8 and 9 detail views illustrating other features oi construction more in detail.

ln thetform of partition illustrated in Figures e5 l and 2, l provide stanchions or posts 10, the lower ends of which are inserted in sockets 11 set in the licor at appropriately spaced .points and the upper ends of which are held in posi tion by guys (as chains or ropes) 12 connected .7o at one end to eyes on the upper ends of said stanchions and to appropriately positioned eyes on iioor plates 13 at the other end. The central stanchions 10 are preferably held spaced apart the required distance by a cross bar 14 appropriately 75 connected with their upper ends.

The front stanchions 15 are formed at their upper ends with sockets which engage downwardly turned fingers 16 on plates 17 which are secured on either side of the doorway. Each 80 vstanchion 15 is provided with a forwardly projecting arm or clip 18 which mates with al projecting arm 19 on a plate 20 secured to the sidesv of the door frame intermediate the ends of said stanchion. A lock 21 of appropriate character, 85 shown as a padlock, isinserted through perforations in said stanchions and serves as a means for thus locking the parts in place.

The lower ends of the stanchions are also connected'by iiexible connections as chains 22 such 90 as shown in Figure 3, which may be secured to the stanchions by .securing clips 23 riveted thereto at the corners of the structure. On the frame,- work thus provided isv mounted canvas or other flexible material to form a partition which will completely enclose the space adjacent to the entrance doors and separate it from the store proper.

A pocket or receptacle 24 is preferably mounted on the inside of the partition in which the person delivering the goods may deposit an invoice or statement showing the items delivered and giving any other information desired and by which the delivery may be checked by the store manager or other person charged with the duty after his arrival at the store. Y

The upper edge of the partition is preferably reinforced by a rope or cable 25 around which the upper edge of the canvas is secured as best shown in Figure 4.' This rope or cable is of suillcient size and strength for the purpose but also is 110 sufiiciently flexible to permit the folding of the be Astitched tothe links of the chain for further secured to the side of the door frame.

security at the corners of the structure. A

In Figures 6 to 9, I illustrate a modified form wherein wire mesh sections are employed in lieu of the canvas partition. Each section consists of uprights and cross-members or rods of appropriate size for the purpose covered with wire netting of any appropriate mesh. The upright at one edge of each section is formed with a foot 31 adapted to be inserted in a slot 32 in a iioor plate 33 and when turned to normal position as indicated in Figure 9 tobe locked beneath said floor plate. The upper end of said upright or rod is provided with an eye 34. The upright on the opposite'edge of each section is formed Awith an upwardly projecting portion 35 which extends a short distance above the normal height of the partition and on its lower end with an eye 36. These details are clearly illustrated in Figure 7. The two panels or sections forming the rear end of the enclosure meet as indicated in Figure 6 and are locked together by an appropriate lock such as a padlock 37.

The cage or portable partition is thus formed in two duplicate sections. When it is desired to adjust the partition in place as indicated in Figure 6, the angularly positioned eye 34 of the front section is hooked over hook 38 .on the plate 39 The section is then turned to bring the horizontal. foot 31 K of the lower end of the upright in line with the slot 32 in the oor plate 33 immediately beneath when said foot passes through said slot and the lsection is then turned in position to bring its eye immediately above the floor plate 33 positioned to receive the foot of the next section. The next section is put in-place by mounting the eye 34 on the upper corner thereof over the projecting end 35 of the upright of the rst section, -inserting the foot through the eye 36 on the lower endof 4 said upright and -then inserting said foot through the slot in the oor plate immediately beneath and turning the section to lock said foot and section in place. Each section is thus secured to the adjacent section and locked to the floor until the rear sections arereached when they are brought together as indicated in'Figure 6 and secured together by the lock 37, as before described.

In the form shown in Figures 1 to 5 wherein the canvas is employed in lieu of the wire netting, the parts are put in place by setting the stanchions in the floor plates, engaging the upper ends of the front stanchions 15 with the lingers 16 which brings the plates 18 and 19 together and inserting the padlock 21 through the perforations in said plates by which means the partition is securely held in place andI its purpose accomplished. To remove the partition it is only necessary to un# ,lock the padlock land disengag'e the parts, folding up eacirside of the partition section upon section and placing it in an appropriate plate outof the way during the business hours o'r-while the store is open Afor customers. In taking down the form shown in Figures 6 to 9 it is only ne essaryl to unlock the padlock 37, turn each section to bring the foot on the upright in line with the slot'in 'the floor plate and lift the footout of said slot thus freeingthe section when each side of the cage may be folded as before describedhe G911- nections between the sections being hinged connections as will be readily seen.

By such arrangement it is entirely feasible to entrust pass keys to the men charged with delivery` from the warehouses and the work of delivering goods may be begun at a very early hour in the morning before the store is opened for business or it maybe continued after the store is closed at night and a single truck and crew thus be enabled to supply the goods to a very much larger number of stores than would be possible where delivery is limited to the stores when the store-managers and clerks are on duty, thus effecting a substantial saving in cost of delivery and contributing largely to the economy of operation of a system or chain of stores provided with this invention.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A portable and collapsible partition structure for the purpose described comprising uprights re-A movably mounted in sockets in floor plates appropriately positioned around the space to be partitioned off in a store, iiexible connections connecting said .uprights at their upper and lower ends, means for appropriately supporting the structure, flexible material mounted upon said connections of the structure, attachments for connecting thefront ends of the side members of the structure to the door frameof the store, and a lock for securing the structure in place,

"substantially as set forth.

2. A portable collapsible partition'for dividing a space adjacent the entrance from the remainder of the store comprising sections foldably connected one with another, means for detachably securing the front section on each side to each side of the entrance door and to the floor of the store, means for securing each section to the 'fioor of the store, and means for locking said several sections together to provide a secure cage around said space, whereby it may be utilized for the reception of merchandise without permitting access to the remainder of the store by those having access to said space, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a store for the sale of merchandise, of a collapsible partition adapted and arranged to separate from the remainder of th'e store a space adjacent to its entrance, means for securing said partition in place to dividesaid space from the remainder of the store with the `door of the store opening into the space thus -sidesof the door-way and extending back into the store to separate a space adjacent the doorway from the remainder of the store, and means for locking said partition in position, whereby a store is provided having a space adjacent the door-way for receiving goods effectually separated from the remainder of the store so that he normal inventory thereinis inaccessible to said series oi.' sections at the respective sides of i said door, said co-acting securing means having remesa attachment with said stationary portion, anchor parts having attachment with said floor, and coscting anchorl parts at the bottoms o! said respective sections, said nrst named co-acting securing means and said anchor parte constructed to resist separating movements between said secf tions, and'said anchoring parts eonstructedto resist upward movements o! said respective sections.v

6. A portable and .collapsible partition structure for thepurpose described upf rights removably secured to the door andiappropriately positioned around the space to be partitioned eti in a store, foldable connections connecting said uprights at their upper and lower ends,l means for appropriately supporting the structure, toidable material mcuntedupcn said connections of the structure, attachments for connecting the front ends oi the side members o! the structure to the front ct the store at each side ci' the entrance door, and a lock for securing the structure', substantially as set i'ortii.

emmen 6.5mm 

